


The Great Escape

by j_whirl44



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Escape Rooms are FUN, Established Relationship, Fluff overload oops, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 06:15:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26847283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44
Summary: He hates escape rooms. They make no sense to him; he just doesn’t see the point. If he wanted to be talked to in riddles for an hour with no way of getting out he’d sit in on one of the weekly lunches Hamid and Wilde always have. It’s exhausting, he’s too impatient and he knows it, and maybe his ego’s been hurt by the two or three he’s tried to do before and failed, but he’d hardly admit that.
Relationships: Celiquillithon "Cel" Sidebottom/Zolf Smith
Comments: 12
Kudos: 20





	The Great Escape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissSunFlower94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissSunFlower94/gifts).



“Ugh Cel this is ridiculous. Can’t believe I let you drag me here,” Zolf mutters as he looks over the papers in his hands. “This clue makes no goddamn sense,” he huffs.  
  
Cel snorts and looks up from the map placed in front of them, “Now i think the coordinates should match up somewhere with the cities placed around the room and- oh! And the clocks on the walls. They must split off into different time zones!” they exclaim.

He smiles coyly as he lays the papers out on the table in front of him, pretending to inspect them carefully while he really watches Cel rush all around him and he lets out a small laugh.

“What?” they say, having heard his little outburst.

“Nothing...it’s nothing,” he says with a barely innocent smile. Cel smirks at him before they shrug and return to decipher the clues around them.

He hates escape rooms. They make no sense to him; he just doesn’t see the point. If he wanted to be talked to in riddles for an hour with no way of getting out he’d sit in on one of the weekly lunches Hamid and Wilde always have. It’s exhausting, he’s too impatient and he knows it, and maybe his ego’s been hurt by the two or three he’s tried to do before and failed, but he’d hardly admit that.

Cel though, Cel’s been asking, or more  _ politely suggesting _ , that they do one together and after months of this he finally cracked, so here they are. Trying to find the plans to the hidden bunker that holds the secrets of the universe, apparently.

He looks at them again as they stare intently at the clocks on the wall. Their eyebrows are raised high above onto their forehead and a hand strokes their chin. He smiles brightly and rolls his eyes, but it’s with fondness in his heart. He goes back to deciphering these “lost letters” to look at any clues.

Minutes pass and a beep comes on the tv with the timer on it at the corner of the room telling them they have fifteen minutes. Cel squeaks and seems to move around the room even faster which feels like it shouldn’t be possible.

“Right okay what’s left that we need to find? Did we ever find a use for this bloody key or was it just for show. Oh! Did we match up the colored films with the lights in those boxes? I-why are you laughing, Zolf!” They look to him and he’s holding his sides and trying very hard to keep his containment inside. They’re glaring at him and that gets him to stop for a moment as he walks up to them and gives their hand a squeeze.

“Sorry. Sorry I just, let’s get this done yeah? I think-I think maybe the dates of these letters match with the locations, and if we put them in order it might-”

“Give us the code to the padlock on the cabinet there, oh yes you’re a genius,” they exclaim and they give him a quick kiss before they run off and pick up the papers. He stands there flustered a moment before he goes to join them.

In all honesty, he really didn’t do much at all. Cel was able to crack the cabinet open in no time and inside was a cheap dollar store bought skull with some foam bones and big plastic jewels centered around a key. They didn’t even hesitate to grab it and run to the other corner of the room where there was one final box that needed to be unlocked. The key turns and the lock opens and Cel gives another excited yell that fills his gut with joy and amusement.

“Oh! It’s the final piece to that puzzle over there,” they exclaim and again they’re off and attaching the final piece of the picture of...a mountain region.

“Is that the same thing as the picture over-”

“Over there, yes! But what do we do with it…” they cut Zolf off excitedly.

He looks over to a small table in the corner with a blacklight on it, “Maybe we shine the-”

“The blacklight on it, yes!” they say and grab the thing and shine it on the photo. Numbers are shown as well and they give another giddy yell as they mumble to themselves.

The timer beeps the five minute warning and Cel rushes to the door, “Oh wait could you read out the numbers for me one more time,” they ask. Zolf makes his way over, but he takes his time. He slowly puts one foot in front of the other and dramatically bends his knees. Cel is glaring at him, it’s mostly joking, but he also knows there’s a tint to it that’s serious, “Zolf,” they say simply.

He smiles even wider and laughs as he makes the rest of his way to the photo. “Two, Eight, One, Five,” he repeats.

Cel punches in the numbers and there’s the satisfied tone of a beep and a lock unlocking. The timer stops aboves them as Cel cheers as they swing open the door. Their game master, a kind woman named Azu, is there to greet them with a smile.

“I don’t think i’ve ever had anyone do this room with no hints. You two are very impressive,” she says.

“It was mostly me,” Cel beams.

Zolf just huffs and shrugs. He can’t argue with that really, and all three of them know it.

“Well here lets get your picture taken by the wall, oh and you get these for escaping,” she says and hands them both pins.

The drive back to his apartment is quiet as Cel’s barely said anything. They’ve been playing nervously with their hands the whole time. He pulls into the parking lot and looks over to them and grabs one of their hands. They smile tightly.

“Are you alright?” he asks.

“Oh I’m fine,” they say, too immediate to be true.

“Cel,” he says softly.

They bite their lip and look forward out the windshield, “I’m sorry if you didn’t have fun tonight,” they whisper.

He looks at them with a confused expression, “I-what? What makes you say that?”

“I know how intense I can get in there, there’s just something about a clock counting down that makes me extra on edge and I-I’m sorry if I was being too harsh or too aggressive I just-I can get a bit competitive and…” they trail off as Zolf brings their hand up to his face and places a kiss on the top of theirs. They blush.

“I had a great time, I promise,” he says. They look at him a moment and examine his face before they smile and nod gently. “Besides,” he continues, “It was very cute seeing you like that. You’re easier to mess with,” he says with a wink.

They give a loud scoff mixed with a groan, “Oh yes I did almost break up with you on the spot during that last clue. And I would have been justified for it,” they say.

He laughs and nods, “Yeah I guess you would’ve,” he says. They stare at each other for another moment before they finally exit the car and make their way up to his apartment door.

He gets out his keys and jingles them teasingly, “Oh but which one is it?” he jokes.

Cel pushes him and sticks their tongue out, “How long are you gonna do that, then?”

“Oh I have a few more in me somewhere,” he responds.

They walk through the door together as they laugh at his ridiculousness.

They spend the rest of the night watching bad tv on the couch and they eventually make their way to his bed to sleep properly. He takes the pin from the date and places it reverently on top of his dresser with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> They deserve to go on a cute date that's all I really got for this one.
> 
> Also can u tell i myself have done ~20 escape rooms in my time fksndkan they're FUN okay that's not important.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> (also shoutout to Sun for the inspo!)


End file.
